Harvest Moon: Dusk Falling
by CatmanOfGotham
Summary: This is NOT the Harvest Moon you played when you were young. Jack finally feels like he has his life in order - with his successful farm, his beautiful wife Celia and their charming son Brian - but when a letter arrives from Mineral Town that threatens to take it all away, he must do everything he can to retain his father's dream... all the while resisting old temptations.
1. Prologue

**Harvest Moon: Dusk Falling** - Preface

By Catman

***Hey guys! So this is a little bit of a weird one. Let me know what you think, and if you guys kind of like the style I'll probably continue it! Heck, I'll probably continue it either way. Anyway, let me know!***

_Jack has finally begun appreciating his life in Forget-Me-Not Valley. Although he misses the bright lights and excitement of Gem City, he's fallen in love with the slow pace of Forget-Me-Not, his perfect little family and his successful farm. But when a letter arrives from the Mayor of Mineral Town, he feels as though his time may be short._

* * *

Jack lowered his heavy sickle, panting heavily. He straightened up, allowed the cold night breeze to blow across his hot face. It was mid-spring, and the hay in the pasture was already getting out of hand. He had been working all day cutting them down to a respectable size, and still had to work into the night to get the job done. Now before him stood an eight-foot pile of light golden hay that needed to be transported to the silo, but that could be saved till the morning.

Instead, the young farmer leaned against the barrier of the pasture, his sickle lying on the ground, and looked up at the night sky. Every star glittered like a diamond in the light, winking down as if to send a message. This was the only reward he would get for cutting down the entire pasture – a beautiful night view. The moon looked especially large, hanging near the horizon above the ocean. Forget-Me-Not Valley truly was the most beautiful place on Earth; nowhere else, especially not the giant metropolis Gem City, had a night sky view that could compare to its.

The sound of a door creaking open reminded Jack of the time. A strip of light illuminated the ground just before his modest home across the farm. In the doorway stood his beautiful wife, Celia. Her long, brown hair waved around her pale, heart-shaped face, her bright eyes tired and half-open. She was wearing a green robe, which she clutched around herself to keep out the cool air.

"Honey!" she called in a cracked voice. "Are you coming to bed?"

Jack smiled to himself, lifting his sickle again. "Of course, sweetheart. Just let me put the tools away for the night, alright?" Celia nodded with a faint smile, and then retreated back into the house. The door closed behind her, cutting off the light. Jack looked up at the sky for another moment, cherishing the view, before he marched across the pasture towards the large barn.

The bright, fluorescent lights inside the barn didn't seem to disturb the sleep of the livestock, who all lay on the ground before their feeding buckets. He doubted that at this time of night, an earthquake could barely shake them awake. But still, as he passed by his old mare Daisy on his way to the tool shed, he could hear a tiny moo as she raised her head slightly, those glassy brown eyes of hers opening slightly.

"Shhh," Jack cooed, dropped to his knees slowly beside her. He ran his hand along her back tenderly. "Go back to sleep, Daisy. Come on. Nothing to worry about." Daisy mooed again quietly before resting her head. Lying before the feeding bucket next to her was her own calf, Bluebell, whom Jack had helped birth himself. Daisy had been his very first cow, and always had a special place in his heart.

Once he was confident that the large, black-and-white mare had dozed off once more, he continued towards the tool shed. After locking up his sickle with his other tools in the cabinet, he locked the doors of both the shed and the barn behind him for the night. He was just about to cross to his little home to sleep when he heard footsteps behind him. Upon turning around, he discovered it was only Takakura, his farming advisor who'd brought him to Forget-Me-Not Valley in the first place. He smiled.

The old man never seemed to change much. Every day he wore loose, torn slacks with white, worn-out sleeveless shirts, his dark, wrinkled skin distorting the tattoos on his arms. He had dark, thinning hair and thick eyebrows that covered his eyes. He carried a large, heavy black bag on his shoulder, and was making his way to the storage tower.

"Takakura, what're you doing up so late?" Jack asked, walking towards him.

Takakura nearly jumped as though he hadn't noticed Jack there; he rarely looked up to see where he was going. It always amused him to see the tough, gritty man surprised or shocked. In an instant, he regained him composure. "I made a trip to Mineral Town today," he explained, continuing towards the storage tower. "Thought I'd give myself a sleep-in tomorrow, you know?"

With his set of keys, he unlocked the storage tower. Before he entered, he stopped and dropped the bag to the ground. "Almost forgot," he grunted, bending down and unzipping a pocket. Jack frowned as the old man retrieved an envelope. "You got a letter from Town Hall," he said gruffly. Jack looked down at the return address. It was from none other than Mayor Norman of Mineral Town. "If it's jury duty, you can take your own horse up there every morning," Takakura added, closing the door behind him.

Jack snorted with laughter, and then continued towards his house. He slit open the envelope with his thump and pulled out the letter. It was written on thick, expensive paper; it had been written by hand with dark ink. He could barely make out the swooping cursive letters that it had been written in, especially not in the dark of night. Absent-mindedly he pushed open the door to his home, which was just as dark.

As he was crossing to the kitchen to turn on a light, the blankets of the bed in the corner shuffled. "Come on, Jack," the tired, cracked voice of Celia moaned quietly. "Come to bed now. You've done enough work for today."

"Just a minute, okay sweetheart?" Jack muttered. He closed the door to the kitchen behind him and turned on the light, which flickered for a few seconds before illuminating the humble eating area. It had sturdy wooden walls and polished floors with a large green rug lying below the wooden dinner table. A few small flowers that Jack and Celia's son, Brian, had collected were drooping out of a precious vase that Celia had brought from her home. The cabinet in the corner was full of china and crystal that she had inherited; it looked odd next to the grubby, standard kitchen appliances and chipped counters next to it. The refrigerator was constantly humming, just trying to stay alive.

Jack sat down at the table and flattened out the letter. It was written very formally, with lots of large words and elegantly strung-together sentences. Had Jack not been educated properly, he probably wouldn't have understood the basics of it… and how shocking it truly was. When he set it down, he felt as though all the blood had left his body. The letter dropped to the table without him even noticing it.

After a few moments of pure shock, he re-read it. It couldn't possibly be true. After six years, they would have noticed something sooner! He read it again and again, trying to prove himself wrong. But it said what it said: Rocky Farm, the little piece of heaven that he owned all to himself in picturesque Forget-Me-Not Valley, was being taken from him.

The door to the kitchen opened. Jack didn't turn around, continuing to read the letter over and over again. Midway through, a small, pale hand rested on his shoulder while the other one took the letter from him. Jack waited while Celia, still groggy with sleep and exhaustion, read the letter. It took longer than it took him, but when her hand left his shoulder he took it as a sign that she understood what it meant.

"But… that's impossible," she said wearily.

Jack stayed silent for a moment. Celia slowly made her way around the table and dropped into the chair opposite of him. He took in his young wife's face. Her warm brown eyes looked sleepy, but they were wide open in shock. Her pink lips were slightly ajar, trying to piece it all together. She was beautiful, even when she was confused. The green robe had fluttered open slightly, revealing her thin, youthful shape and just a bit of cleavage. Even though she had given birth just three years ago she looked the same as she did when they had met.

Her eyes met his. "They can't take the farm from you!" she said with as much intensity as she could muster while still being quiet. Brian was asleep in the next room, and if he woke up he wouldn't fall asleep for hours. Celia looked over at the door in the corner warily, before turning to face Jack again. "Your father and Takakura bought this farm seven years ago!"

Jack's eyes were wide. "Never once did I ever see any legal documentation," he said quietly. "I just assumed Takakura had it. I mean, I thought they bought the land…"

"It's all just a misunderstanding," Celia deducted, shaking her head slightly. "In the morning we'll speak with Takakura and ask to see proof that they paid for this land. They just can't take it away from us," she repeated, her mouth ajar. "They can't do that."

Jack frowned. "I don't know, Celia. If they can prove that my dad didn't actually buy the farm then maybe they can."

"But he had to have! Nobody just finds spare land and builds on it without permission," she justified. "And Takakura's an honest man."

The two sat in silence for a few more moments. Jack's heart was beating loudly. Perhaps it was his own exhaustion that was enhancing his worry over the situation. He had thought about this before. Not once, when Takakura decided to give the farm to Jack, did he ever have to sign any documents claiming the land was his.

Celia stood up. "Come on, we're worrying too much about this. Let's go to sleep, alright? We can talk it over in the morning." She took his hand, and he stood up slowly, pushing in his chair behind him. He followed her to bed, closing the kitchen door behind him, leaving the letter and the envelope open on the table.

* * *

Thanks for reading! :3


	2. Chapter One

**Harvest Moon: Dusk Falling** - Chapter One

By Catman

_Mayor Norman, the newly elected leader of Mineral Town, prepares his upcoming trip to Forget-Me-Not Valley, with a secret underlying plan. Later, Jack enlists the help of one of his closest friends to assist him in the battle of keeping Rocky Farm under his ownership._

* * *

The sharp, metallic heels of Mayor Norman's expensive shoes clicked against the marble floors of Mineral Town Hall, echoing down the main hallway. As he passed the various visitors and civil servants, all of whom looked up at him in curiosity (and, in some cases, terror), he raised his head and glared at them down his sharp, severe nose. One poor secretary dropped the tall stack of papers she was carrying, some of which blew across the hall. Norman didn't even bother to move around them; instead, he stepped heavily on top of them. Indeed, to the secretary it even appeared as if he slightly smeared it into the ground with his heel as he walked.

"Mr. Mayor!" a voice called down from the opposite end of the hall. Norman stopped and rolled his eyes before turning. Sprinting towards him, his briefcase flying behind him and his square glasses almost tumbling off his large nose, was his assistant, Louis. The bumbling young man was awkward, nosy and didn't seem to respect (or fear) him as much as the others who worked in the Town Hall, but he got things done efficiently. Still, as he slowed to a stop, panting heavily, the new Mayor of Mineral Town couldn't help but feel severely irritated by his presence.

"Yes, Louis?" Norman asked, spinning around and continuing walking. He could practically feel his assistant's alarm behind him, followed by his quickening footsteps as he attempted to catch up once more. Although the two couldn't have been more than fifteen years in age difference, Norman was twice as fit and walked in a quick, decisive way anywhere he went.

"I-I thought we'd go over your agenda for next week!" Louis said half-heartedly. "You know, the trip to Forget-Me-Not Valley?" Louis pushed his glasses further up his nose and opened up a slim folder as he walked. "Um… I believe we're leaving on the Monday…? That's a week and a half from now. We still haven't heard back from that farmer, either… maybe we should send –"

"Louis, perhaps this is a conversation better suited for the privacy of my office," Norman snapped without looking back. All of the other workers seemed to take that as a hint, and immediately busied themselves with something. As they neared the heavy oak doors at the end of the hallway, Louis hurried around the mayor and pulled open the door. Without losing his speed, Norman strode through.

The office was small and cluttered – much different than his large, modern, luxurious office in Gem City. But then again, nothing in Mineral Town could compare to the glamour of Norman's true hometown. Still, he found the little bookshelf-covered walls and stained burgundy carpets quaint; the desk was definitely an antique, though not necessarily in mint condition. He took a seat in his cheap rolling chair behind the desk and flicked on his light, holding out his hand to his assistant. Louis was still across the office, trying to open a folding metal chair. When he noticed the severe, annoyed expression on his boss' face, he dashed across the office to hand him the agenda before continuing to pry open the rusty chair.

"Um… we leave on the Monday, yes!" Louis continued, finally managing to unfold the chair with an ear-aching screech. He placed it before the desk and sat down, shuffling around the other folders in his arms. "We'll be going with Albert, of course, and Arnold… and I believe your wife is accompanying us, too, sir?"

Norman looked over the schedule with slight disdain. "Yes, she will be. She lived in Forget-Me-Not Valley for quite some time. She thinks it'll be a treat to see all of her old friends." He said the word with a slight smile, as though he didn't care for those sort of people. Louis looked at his boss and cocked his head slightly, a little confused.

"And where will we be staying?" he continued as he closed the schedule, even though the information was directly on it.

"We'll be staying at the Inner Inn," the assistant explained. "It's the only hotel there, I believe… I rented two rooms, one for you and your, uh, wife, and one for me to share with Albert and Arnold." Louis did not look particularly pleased at this. He looked back up at his boss, who was staring out the window with an intent look. After a moment, Louis spoke up once more. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking… why do you want to purchase Forget-Me-Not Valley?"

Norman fixed Louis with a degrading look. "To expand Mineral Town, of course." He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, looking at the collection of ancient pieces with a look of amusement. "We're far too high up in the mountains to expand anywhere here. There's hardly any more room here. And that is why I believe people simply refuse to live here; Mineral Town is just so cluttered." Norman pulled out a book, frowning down at its faded cover. "Mineral Town has so much potential; it's really quite a beautiful town. That's where Mayor Thomas made his mistake, and why the people of Mineral Town have elected me – to bring Mineral Town the recognition it deserves."

Louis frowned. "But… do you really think the people of Mineral Town are willing to expand down the mountain? I mean, there's not a lot we can do on the side of the mountain… and it's a long walk all the way down to the valley." As Louis spoke absent-mindedly, Norman rolled his eyes again and turned to face him with a look of contempt. "If they wanted to live down the mountain, wouldn't they just live in Forget-Me-Not Valley anyway?"

"Exactly my point," Norman agreed. Louis faced his boss and flinched away from the withering look. Norman placed the book back in its place and continued to look around. "Forget-Me-Not Valley is a waste of space. I plan to develop it, and then join it with Mineral Town – expand the mountain path, maybe add a few roads… and that will begin when we take away that farm."

"Why's that?"

"Because currently, Rocky Farm is the only true money marker for the little town," Norman explained. "It's generated quite a lot of wealth for the Valley. However, with some digging, I discovered that the land was taken by the government seven years ago when its previous owner passed away. However, since they saw no real use for it, they forgot about it. Not a year later, a man by the name of Henry, along with his friend, began building and developing the land, only to have him pass away as well just a few months into development. So his son decided to take up the farm and has apparently done fairly well for himself." Norman turned to face Louis with another devilish smile. "Little does he know that the land doesn't belong to him; it belongs to us. When we take it from him, the Valley will be diminished, and will gladly permit me to make renovations to it."

Louis frowned. "So wait… this Henry guy and his friend started building on a land that they didn't own? Why would they do that?"

Norman shrugged. "I suppose they didn't think it belonged to anyway. When did we send the letter to the current owners telling them of our taking back our land?"

"About two weeks ago, sir," Louis answered promptly. "We still haven't heard a response. It's entirely possible that the letter hasn't gotten to them yet – the mailman only makes a trip to Forget-Me-Not Valley twice a month. It's inconvenient, but it'd be unnecessary to do it any more frequently. No one's trying to contact them."

Norman nodded. "That's fine. They can't escape this forever." The mayor returned to his desk and opened up another folder. Louis watched him suspiciously. He had only known the Mayor of Mineral Town for a few months, and already he was wary of his cold, calculated demeanor. How could the people of Mineral Town elect such a heartless man? Had he even considered how his actions would effect the people of Forget-Me-Not Valley?

Louis frowned. "Sir, are you certain this is a good idea?"

Norman cocked an eyebrow as he lifted another piece of paper. "What do you mean?"

The assistant shuffled in his seat, trying to say what he wanted without challenging or condescending his boss. "I just mean that… maybe there are better ways to expand Mineral Town than, you know… develop Forget-Me-Not Valley. I just mean to say," he added hurriedly when Norman raised his eyes judgementally, "that I don't know how good of an idea it is. Like I said, it's awfully inconvenient to go all the way down there. Why would people chose to live there if it's so distant from the center of Mineral Town?"

Norman exhaled sharply with mock laughter. "Are you trying to advise me, Mr. Louis?"

"No, I'm just – maybe it's a good idea if…" He was spluttering, trying to take it all back.

"Perhaps you don't understand my position," Norman continued, his voice cold and unforgiving, but as quiet as a distant storm. His sharp eyes bored into Louis', seemingly frying them to pieces. Louis took the opportunity to assess his boss. He would have been extremely attractive if he wasn't always so serious. His white-blond hair was short and jelled back; his skin was pale, but tan enough that he stilled looked human. His eyes were sharp and blue, and he had a long, sharp nose and thin lips. His body was toned and strong under his solid black suit. His glasses rested on his nose, perfectly balanced.

"For many years before my election," Norman continued, "I was one of the most successful businessmen in Gem City, Mr. Louis. I brought more money to that city than half the companies there. If you're insinuating –" he hissed the word, spitting it like a bad taste in his mouth "– that my decisions aren't well developed, or well thought out, then I advise you find a better career choice to waste your time at." Louis gulped as Norman sat back in his chair. "But if someday you'd like to be in my position, and undoubtedly learn some invaluable information while you're here, perhaps you should do what I say – and take notes."

Louis sat in his chair awkwardly, feeling ashamed in himself. Had he actually tried to question the great Norman? Maybe for a moment he had, in fact, doubted the Mayor of Mineral Town. He had definitely heard all of the rumours of Louis' glamorous life as the CEO of an extremely successful brand, but maybe seeing him in a town as plain as Mineral Town had made him forget.

Norman glanced up. "You may leave now," he snapped. Louis nodded and stood, folding the squeaky, rusty chair as fast as possible. As he walked back over to the heavy doors, he rested it against the adjacent wall and scuttled out. Norman watched him go, his eyes narrowed. When he was certain that his blundering assistant had left, he pulled out a tall bottle of sprites and a small glass out of his drawer. After pouring himself a drink he swiftly replaced it in the drawer and held it in his hands greedily, sipping it slowly and savouring the bitter sweet taste.

He felt particularly clever. In the short course of a year, he had managed to find his way to the smallest town in the country and weaseled himself into its political framework. It had been pathetically easy to take the position of mayor away from the clown Thomas, with his powerful connections and marketing team – even without it, he would have won it just by his status as a resident of Gem City. The people in the town were amazed at anything from the sprawling metropolis in the far east.

Now he was planning to completely reconstruct the town. He would turn Mineral Town, and Forget-Me-Not Valley, into one of the country's largest, most thriving cities. He'd heard of the Valley's beautiful beach; perhaps it could be marketed as a port town, or even a vacation paradise. The possibilities were endless. And he would be marked a legend, a hero who transformed a dingy little mining town into a glamorous location.

He gloated in his own genius as he sat back and sipped his drink once more. It would all come eventually, one step at a time. The first was taking down Forget-Me-Not Valley… starting with Rocky Farm.

* * *

"Takakura!"

The old, thinning man wheeled around, his mouth ajar. Jack was running across the farmyard, waving an envelope in his hand. Takakura sighed and placed the two heavy buckets of milk he had been carrying down on the ground. He was hoping he could still make it up to Mineral Town in time; even though he'd made a trip just the previous night, there was always lots of work to be done, and more orders had come in just that morning. His mind was running a mile a minute as he approached his apprentice.

"What do you need, son?" he asked, his voice low and gruff. Many couldn't understand him, but Jack was used to the growly tone he often used, even if he slurred his words together and frequently mispronounced things. Jack opened the envelope and handed him the letter. Takakura's eyes scanned the page, but the glossy look on them told Jack that he couldn't understand the mayor's swooping, curly writing. Still, out of respect he waiting until Takakura was "finished".

The old farmer frowned and held the letter closer to his face. "Is this just gibberish, or…?"

Jack shook his head and took the letter back. His frown and creased eyebrows already told his advisor that it didn't hold good news. "It's from the Mayor of Mineral Town," Jack explained. "The new one. He says that this farmland was never purchased by my father, and that it was given back to them when the previous owner passed away. Now they're trying to take it back." Takakura tilted his head. "It means they're trying to kick us off Rocky Farm," Jack simplified.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that," Takakura said, waving it off. Still, he fixed Jack with the same confused look. Then he began shaking his head. "I don't understand… what are they saying, we didn't buy this farm? Of course we did. I paid a quarter of it, I gave it to Henry myself. Read it out to me, word for word," he said, crossing his arms.

As Jack spoke, Takakura raised his hand to his mouth and bit his fingernail. He only bit his fingers when he was nervous… and for good reason. A thick, permanent coating of dirt lay underneath them. He spat out the nail fragment once Jack was finished.

"It's just a misunderstanding," Takakura assured him. However, he continued chewing his nail. "You have to right back, alright? Tell them we paid for this land, fair and square, seven years ago. You're the rightful owner, you know that?" he added, punching Jack lightly on the shoulder. "Complete mix-up. Those government people, all running around, don't know what they're doing…" Takakura lifted the buckets of milk and walked towards the storage tower, muttering to himself quietly. As he did, Jack looked over the letter for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Oh," Takakura added, turning slightly, "I hope you don't mind, but I told Ruby we could lend her some butter. She's cooking for the Spring Festival next week." Jack nodded absent-mindedly. Takakura narrowed his eyes. "You remembered the Spring Festival, right? We've got to get those tomatoes to Ruby by Saturday at the latest."

Jack snorted, finally tuning in to what Takakura was saying. "Of course I remembered! Celia's busy planning all the decorations," he reminded Takakura. "And that's fine, we can spare some butter for Ruby." Takakura nodded once and disappeared into the storage tower. Jack looked back down at the letter. He had to reply as soon as possible, and there was one person in the Valley who could help him.

Jack tucked the envelope into his back pocket as he walked past the barn, the tool shed and Takakura's house, towards the exit of Rocky Farm. Its boundaries had been set by a natural land dyke that separated it from the town. There were two openings in the dyke, one which lead to the main strip of town where the inn and bar were located, and another which lead to a forest path. Just as Jack was about to exit towards the town strip, a high-pitched voice screamed from across the farmyard.

"Daddy!" it screeched. Jack turned with a smile. Celia had opened the door to their home and his son, Brian, was running full-speed towards him. At only three years old, he was quick and agile and already very good at running. Jack hurried towards his son, his arms outstretched. Once he was within his reach, Jack scooped him up from under the arms and lifted him over his head, spinning him in the air like an airplane. His son giggling and screamed. Celia stood at the doorway, smiling to herself.

Finally, Jack held his son close. "Where're you going, daddy?" Brian asked, his voice small and quiet now that his father was closer to him. Brian looked more like his mother than his father, with his large, glittering brown eyes and short brown hair that poked out from underneath his green hat. Celia had made him little green clothes and overalls so he could feel like a farmer as well. It was always Jack's plan to raise his son to take over the farm once he had retired.

"I'm going to visit Grant and Samantha," Jack told his son. "Do you want to come? I'm sure Kate will be there." Grant was an accountant who worked in Mineral Town, but he and his family lived in Forget-Me-Not Valley to escape the clutter of the mountain village. Jack never did like Samantha or Kate – they were much too blunt and bossy towards him – but his son often spent time with eight-year-old Kate.

Brian nodded. "Lemme come, lemme come!"

Jack laughed. "Alright, kiddo." He placed his son on his feet next to him before turning back to his wife. "Brian's coming with me to visit Grant and Sam, alright sweetheart?" Celia nodded and waved to them before leaving the house herself, probably to water the crops. Jack held onto his son's hand and lead him out of the farm.

The valley stretched out before them. The wide gravel road that lead out of Rocky Farm connected to the thick, cracked cobblestone street at a T. To the right was the main strip: the only two establishments there were a tall, two-story wooden hotel called the Inner Inn, and a little stone pub called the Blue Bar. Beyond that there was a marsh, where a few of the more eccentric villagers lived in their various homes. Beyond that, there was the beach, and the ocean that stretched out to the horizon. To the left, the road led onto a wooden bridge over a thick river; on that side of the valley there was Vesta's farm, where Celia used to live. Past that was the mountain trail that lead to Mineral Town. The Valley was small, but cozy; everyone knew each other, and most people were comfortable speaking to each other.

Jack lead Brian down the main strip, past the Inner Inn. Three houses were built on the other side of the road from the bar. The tallest, skinniest one in the middle belonged to Jack's friend Grant. Next to it was another similar house that belonged to Jack's other friends, Wally, a personal trainer, and his wife Chris. He watched as the door swung open and their thirteen year old son, Hugh, emerged. After a short stretching period, the young man proceeded to jog towards them. Wally was a personal trainer up in Mineral Town, and his hobby had clearly imprinted upon his athletic, somewhat cocky son.

"Hey, Jack!" Hugh called as he passed by. "Hey, Brian."

"Hi Hugh!" Brian called. Jack merely waved. He climbed up onto Grant's front step, lifting up his son by the arm. Brian giggled as his feet left the ground for a moment. Jack knocked loudly on the door three times.

After a moment, the door opened slightly. Jack could just see a sliver of Samantha, Grant's wife. She wore a beautiful, somewhat outdated flowery dress, and her slick brown hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. Her pale skin glowed in the sunlight. She was severe, but attractive; her eyes, however, were intimidating. She glowered at Jack for a moment until she seemed to recognize him.

"Oh, Jack, it's you," she said half-heartedly. She pulled open the door, allowing him to come in. "And Brian too. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could get Grant's help," Jack said politely. "It could take awhile. Do you mind if Brian stays as well? I thought maybe he could play with Kate."

Samantha's mouth twisted as she thought. "Yes, I suppose so. I'm just making lunch now, so you'll have to leave in about half an hour. Grant's upstairs and Kate's in her room." Jack would have been taken aback by her bossiness, but he was used to it by now. He stepped inside, pulling Brian in as well. Their house was meticulously neat; not a thing was out of place. It was tastefully decorated, but there was nothing fancy or particularly modern. Samantha retreated back to the kitchen to continue making what appeared to be a soup. "Kate, Brian's here to play with you," she said in a cold, loud voice.

The door to Kate's bedroom opened. Her daughter, eight-year-old Kate, emerged. She approached Brian, looking down at him with her hands on her hips. Kate's brown hair was pulled into braided pigtails that stuck out on either side of her head. She wore a neat blue dress, and had the same air of coldness about her. Although he didn't like her, he thought maybe some of her presence would wear off on the shy, often quiet Brian.

"But mother, Brian's just a baby!" Kate said, completely ignoring Jack.

"I am not a baby…" Brian quietly disagreed, his little eyebrows creased.

"Really?" said Kate mockingly, raising an eyebrow. "Then if you're such a big kid, you'll prove it to me by cleaning my room for me. Only big kids can clean, don't you know?"

Samantha turned from the oven. "Kate's that's enough. You'll clean your room on your own, once Brian has left. Play nicely, alright?" Kate nodded grumpily and took Brian's other hand, pulling him away from Jack. Brian's father snorted in laughter, then climbed the stairs to Grant and Samantha's office-like bedroom.

He knocked once, then entered. Grant was seated at his desk in the corner, as usual. He looked up in shock, then calmed once he realized it wasn't his wife. "Oh, Jack!" he said in a quiet, shaky voice. "Please, sit down." Grant stood and offered a chair to his guest. Jack closed the door behind him and took a seat on the other side of Grant's desk. Unlike his wife and daughter, Grant was quiet and somewhat timid; he rarely spoke his mind, but could be quite insightful and intelligent when he was around people who accepted it.

"How's work?" Jack asked, looking at the pile of paperwork in amazement.

Grant sighed, resting a hand against his forehead. "I booked the week off to help Samantha with preparations for the Spring Festival, but all I've been doing anyway is my work! I'd rather be at my office, to be honest." Jack nodded, sympathetic. With her organization and natural leadership, it was often Grant's wife who spearheaded the Spring Festival. The Inner Inn's resident chef and co-owner, Ruby, always catered, and Celia was stuck with decorating once the old decorated left Forget-Me-Not Valley. Jack's mind wandered for a moment on that thought, until Grant interrupted him by clearing his throat.

"Sounds like it hasn't been a good week," Jack finally replied with a sigh.,

"Not at all. All these numbers are starting to look the same to me."

Jack pulled out the envelope out of his back pocket. "Then maybe you'd rather look at some words instead," he suggested, handing it to Grant. The aging accountant frowned down at it, holding it close to his face.

"The Mayor of Mineral Town?" he read. "What's this about?"

"Read it," Jack said with a slight sigh himself.

As Grant read the letter, Jack looked him over. Grant always had an exhausted look to him. His skin was pale and greyish from always sitting in an office; his black hair was short and tacked to his head with gel. Today he wore a staunch white shirt and black pants with a dark blue tie. His eyes had dark circles under them. His expression changed from confused to shocked as he read, before setting down the letter.

"What? Your father never purchased the land… how is that possible?" Jack shrugged. "Well, surely you signed the deed to the land when you came into ownership, didn't you?" Grant asked, his mouth slightly ajar.

Jack shook his head. "I never signed any paperwork. I always just assumed the farm was still under Takakura's name, I guess."

Grant handed the letter back to him. "There must be some mistake. They can't just take your land away from you… can they?"

Once more, Jack shrugged. "That's why I came to you."

Grant frowned. "Jack, I'm no lawyer… I'm just an accountant. I handle numbers all day, I'm afraid I can't help you out with this one. If you'd like, I can try to get you in touch with someone from Mineral Town to help you sort this out."

"No, I think I'd like to handle this myself," Jack replied. "And I know your specialty isn't writing letters, but you work with these kind of people every day. I was hoping maybe you'd help me with just organizing my thoughts and convince Mayor Norman that Rocky Farm is mine."

Grant sighed. "I don't know, Jack…" He considered it for a moment. "Oh, what the hell, I can give it a shot. If it doesn't sound right, we can just trash it." Grant pulled out a page of official-looking paper from his desk drawer and lifted his ink pen. "So," he began, leaning forward. Jack leaned forwards as well, determined. "How shall we start?"

For the next half an hour, Jack and Grant wrote out the most eloquent letter they could. When it was time for him to leave, Jack returned to Rocky Farm with Brian and handed the letter into Takakura's hand, feeling slightly more optimistic than he had last night.

* * *

Thanks for reading! :3


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